Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 868 - 807: The Root of Disaster

"Very well, if there is nothing else, you may withdraw. All that needed to be done has been done, the battle is over; now rest and recover in peace." After Volan left, Faelga no longer seemed in the mood for jest, and ended the Royal Court proceedings promptly. Elves slowly rose to their feet, leaving the Royal Court in small groups.

Soon, the emptied Royal Court was left with only two people.

Faelga sat on the throne, with Wilder kneeling motionlessly on the spot. The Lady of Nature’s lips parted slightly: "Kylo Crowfeather, son of Welter and Shandela."

The palm of the youth propping himself up on the ground opened slightly, his bowed head showing even more respect.

"The son of Welter and Shandela praises Your Majesty’s wisdom, but how did you discern my identity?" Wilder’s false name was unveiled, and facing the queen’s majesty, the youth seemed to relax a bit.

Faelga’s voice, cool and detached, rose slightly.

"No two leaves in the world are exactly the same, but the Forest remembers every special child. The Shiblade Family is a direct line serving the queen, created by me, a noble family pretense to shelter war orphans. Every war costs my people, but I will not let young children perish for lack of support."

"After every war, I require the Shiblade Family to choose a new spokesperson, as is my rule."

"Why me?" the youth asked.

"Identity and talent," Faelga looked down at the youth, "Only a child can speak for another child. You share the same identity with the others; you understand the feelings of all children and can lead them to fight for your true happiness. You, with broken families, understand each other’s loneliness and become each other’s new family. Your talent has been selected; Volan Shiblade’s judgment I trust. He dared to reveal your identity before me, which means you must possess a talent to match that of the noble Wilder Nikana."

Kylo crossed his arms, his slight figure shrinking even more.

"My coming of age ceremony will not be for another twelve years, which should be witnessed by my parents."

"Time waits for no one to come of age! Whether you accept it or not, you have already become their elder brother, their parent. Or would you hand over the power bestowed by me to the Shiblade to those real ’adults’? Are you willing to be ruled by others, leaving those who are unrelated and ignorant of affection to govern you? I respect your choice."

The youth muttered to himself, then lifted his head, revealing those light gray eyes to Faelga for the first time.

"... I don’t want to change my name."

"That’s your right, you are now the head of the Shiblade household."

Kylo Shiblade’s eyes shifted, showing a calmness beyond ordinary people.

"Then what about my uncle..." Kylo Servblade was surprised by the mad behavior of Volan Shiblade in the Royal Court; he was sure that the favored servant had garnered some particular attention, and an unpleasant thought naturally arose, flowing as easily as water along its course.

"He has gone bad."

Faelga’s eyes were filled with shadows, and the way she mentioned Volan solidified Kylo’s belief that even the queens above the Royal Court were all but actors in a play.

"He was once a favorite servant of mine, very excellent indeed. I favored him greatly, but he seems to have misunderstood my intentions. Volan has overstepped his bounds, and must receive the punishment for doing so."

"Kylo Shiblade, do not let your uncle appear before my eyes again."

"Prove your worth to me, and I will transfer the favor I once gave Volan onto you."

The chilling and dreadful words made Kylo understand the queen’s true intentions. A sentence leapt suddenly into his trembling thoughts.

The avatar of the Earth Mother God is a snake.

Faelga, this queen of great power and beauty, rules Elves with terror. Ordinary frivolity or fun, all serve to deflect attention from her aura of terror. And her core, once one looks past the smiles of jest or irritation on the corners of her mouth, reveals a cold and merciless heart.

Faelga, a creature beyond the ordinary mortals.

Kylo Servblade’s initial interaction with the Elf Queen led to his misconception of Faelga; she cared for her own people, just not the so-called favorites she displayed.

"Family is the most important thing."

Having left the cold-feeling Royal Court, Kylo Servblade pondered over his plans, only to encounter the unexpected Charles Nightingale outside of the court.

"Hey there, lad," he leaned against a tree, greeting Kylo warmly, "It seems you’re the new ’favorite’ now."

Kylo did not reply, simply gazing at Charles calmly.

"Volan always thought he could win the Queen’s favor. Sometimes I can’t understand; Her Majesty is so high above, she has clearly separated herself from people like us. Don’t harbor the wrong ideas about the great Majesty, newcomer."

A wave of emotion resonated within Kylo, and he couldn’t help but retort.

"I’m not a fool."

Charles nodded in agreement.

"Your answer is exactly like the one Volan once gave. I remember it was after the counter-invasion war with the Night Elves, on a cloudy morning just like this. Volan Shiblade was dressed in a floral garment as beautiful as yours, puffed up with fear like a grown-up."

"Our Queen has unique talents, like a flame that lures moths, or flowers that attract bees. The Lady of Nature has her distinct charm; don’t get caught up in it."

Kylo Servblade swallowed hard, conjuring the image of Volan Shiblade’s animated voice, overlapping his own likeness with it.

"Isn’t there a way to resist the Queen’s charm?"

"There is, stay away from Her Majesty. She’s like a vortex, pulling those who get close into the depths. However, as a Servblade, it’s clearly impossible for you to stay away from Her Majesty. It’s probably because she understands all this that she chose someone among our group to divide her servant from her favorite."

Why would such a person want to become the Queen...

"Because of the sacrifices you make, Her Majesty is lenient with you, as long as you don’t cross the line or rise above the Queen. What are you thinking about?" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"The prophecy of the Elven elders."

Charles realized, "Ah, are you hoping for the redemption by Queen Shan?"

The bloodline of King Adel is the Twin Bloom; one branch drinks the sweet dew, the other soaks in the mire. They’re connected like the two sides of a mirror, destined to harm each other despite their deep love. The Heart of the Forest has made its choice, and the lonely one shall bloom the eternal flower.

What made this prophecy even more famous were the words spoken by the Mad King Adel in his later years; in front of his courtiers, he cursed his daughter with a resentful gaze.

[My daughter will return... Faelga! You vicious one will not be my successor!]

The one who now presides over the court is the Evil Queen, and the Elves who fear her believe that her sister, representing the other side of Faelga, will defeat her and become the true Elf Queen. Unfortunately, the fools who openly propagated this heresy were all hanged. Along with the Mad King and the old nobles who supported him, they were hanged on the banyan trees of the Royal Court by Faelga. That year, Faelga was not yet of age; also, it was the same year she led the troops to bury the Night Elves who invaded the Forest Elves.

Even uttering the Queen’s name had become taboo, and the offenders would be executed by Faelga herself.

In the Elvish language, Faelga means "bringer of misfortune", "source of disaster".